MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens seem to be colliding in Thursday night’s game on similar trajectories.
Both teams had playoff aspirations this season, but each notched just their second win last Sunday after early-season struggles.
The Ravens (2-5) are still widely perceived as contenders for a playoff spot, nationally believed to be sparking their midseason turnaround at this precise point.
The Dolphins (2-6), though, aren’t really afforded that same confidence, even after putting together their most complete performance in Sunday’s 34-10 win against the Atlanta Falcons.
Coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier remain on their respective hot seats, maybe only buying themselves some time from the constant outside pressure with the surprise outing in Atlanta. National reports still see the Dolphins as selling before Tuesday’s trade deadline, possibly dealing one of their veteran starting outside linebackers.
Baltimore is considered a 7 ½-point favorite on the road when the two teams kick off at 8:15 p.m. Thursday night at Hard Rock Stadium, but if Miami pulls off the upset, the Dolphins would be ahead of the Ravens in the AFC standings, now with a stronger argument they can be primed for a late playoff push.
The Dolphins could very easily feel undermined by the perception, but players seem to block it out and focus on consistency with what worked to earn the team its stunning victory as a similar underdog against the Falcons four days earlier.
“I don’t listen to the outside noise,” said center Aaron Brewer, who turned 28 Tuesday. “I focus on what’s within with us and focus on what we got to do. I’m not worried about the opponent. I’m worried about being the best version of us every week.”
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Part of the greater belief that resides with the Ravens is that they have star quarterback Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP, returning from a monthlong absence with a hamstring injury in another South Florida homecoming.
Jackson’s two previous games at Hard Rock Stadium went drastically different. He had his epic five-touchdown performance in a 59-10 victory over the tanking 2019 Dolphins, but then he was stymied in the 2021 Thursday night game where Brian Flores blitzed him to no end in a 22-10 Miami win. Overall against Miami, he has 14 touchdowns to one interception and 1,201 passing yards, plus 199 rushing yards and another touchdown on the ground, but is 2-2.
For the Dolphins, they might as well just be getting their quarterback back, too. Tua Tagovailoa’s four-touchdown performance against the Falcons, while wearing a visor to protect a swollen eye, could draw inspiration for him to finally look like his 2022 and 2023 self again.
Beyond Jackson, though, there’s a culture Baltimore has established over the past 25 years — the same 25 years since the last Dolphins playoff win.
“That 2000 Super Bowl team and the culture and tradition that they’ve kind of instilled in that organization has never left,” said Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, who spent four years of his playing career in Baltimore and was back for three seasons as an assistant coach before joining Miami. “Honestly, they probably get a lot of credit for it, but it probably really starts with Ozzie Newsome.”
Newsome has been with the franchise since its moving in 1996 from Cleveland, either as executive vice president of player personnel or as general manager.
“He knows exactly what he wants in a player and a coach, and you feel that all throughout the building,” Weaver said. “I just remember, when I first went in there as a player back in 2002, you felt an immense responsibility to uphold the standard, which means, when you were on the field with those guys, you were only going to play a certain way. And guys, particularly on defense — and I think it’s found its way to the offensive side of the ball, as well — you know when you hit that field, if you’re not playing with your hair on fire, you won’t last long.”
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This year’s Ravens defense has hardly upheld that standard, however.
Baltimore ranks 30th in scoring defense, 28th in total defense, 28th against the pass, 23rd against the run, and they’re not getting sacks or creating turnovers.
Weaver’s defense previously ranked last against the run, but the unit has maybe turned a corner after holding electric Falcons running back Bijan Robinson to 25 rushing yards in a dominant overall effort in Atlanta.
Powerful Ravens running back Derrick Henry, though, presents a different challenge with his 252-pound frame, now complemented once again by the speed of Jackson if he keeps the ball on the read-option when a team overcommits to stopping the power of Henry.
When Henry gets the ball, it will require a pack mentality Miami has been preaching defensively. When it’s Jackson, the Dolphins defense must be prepared for his dual-threat abilities.
“He is such a special talent and I think his skill set now paired with what (offensive coordinator) Todd Monken has brought from just a schematic standpoint is the perfect mesh,” Weaver said. “It allows him to utilize all of his strengths. He can have a little more control of the huddle. He can kind of check in and out of some concepts, and then obviously he can pull the ball down and run at any particular point, whether it’s designed or not.”
The Dolphins also gave the Ravens new things to prepare on the short week that were effective Sunday in Atlanta. They trotted out Daniel Brunskill as a sixth offensive lineman on about 15 plays, offering more power in the run game, which involved some two-tailback sets with De’Von Achane and rookie Ollie Gordon II on the field together. The offense got a boost from offensive coordinator Frank Smith’s presence on the sideline instead of being upstairs Sunday.
After the quick turnaround to face the Ravens, the Dolphins have a mini-bye situation with the weekend off before hosting the Buffalo Bills with that extra rest.
